Band of Brothers
by Cheryl W
Summary: ((COMPLETE))Total AU: LOTR characters are soldiers in an American Paratrooper Company during WW2. A Memorial Day fic! No action but angst and drama.
1. Default Chapter

Band of Brothers: LOTR Style  
  
Cheryl W.  
  
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I don't own The Lord of the Rings or anything in conjunction with The Lord of the Rings. I also do not own Band of Brothers or anything in conjunction with Band of Brothers. Nor am I making a profit from this story. No copyright infringement is intended.   
  
Author's Notes: If you do not like AU, then this story is not for you. This is a total AU in which I put some of the characters of LOTR into the setting of World War II as depicted in the mini series Band of Brothers. In this realm there are no elves or hobbits but only men of flesh and blood. The characters are soldiers in an American paratrooper company called Fellowship Company (corny, I know but I couldn't resist). I will be posting a chapter a day and will conclude this tale on Monday (Memorial Day). I mean absolutely no disrespect to any veterans. They are all heroes in my eyes and I owe them my life and my freedoms.  
  
LIST OF PLAYERS  
  
Captain Aragorn Thorongil  
  
1st Lieutenant Boromir Stewart   
  
2nd Lieutenant Legolas Mirkwood  
  
1st Sergeant Gimli Durin  
  
2nd Sergeant Peregrin "Pippin" Took  
  
2nd Sergeant Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck  
  
2nd Sergeant Frodo Baggins  
  
2nd Sergeant Sam Gamgee  
  
Captain Denethor Gondor  
  
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January 1945, On the outskirts of Foy, Belgium  
  
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Chapter 1  
  
Fifty miles back from the front line was like crossing into another dimension..like an episode of the Twilight Zone. The improvised aid station where 2nd lieutenant Legolas Mirkwood found himself was by no means quiet but it held a silence that the front line didn't. A silence that did not whisper of danger...of doom. It seemed a haven...a place where he could feel safe..even if for only a little while. But that feeling did not come without it's cost, mainly guilt. He was safe but he knew the other men in Fellowship Company were far from safe, they were fighting off death every second. And he was not there to share in that danger...or to protect those he loved like brothers.  
  
He was young for an officer and he had feared that he would be unable to earn the respect of the men under his command, men that were older and more experienced than he. And maybe it would have been that way...except for Captain Aragorn Thorongil. The captain, instead of resenting getting sent a green officer, offered Legolas his steadfast friendship and guidance. Realizing that Legolas had garnered their Captain's approval, the men under Legolas's command readily accepted the young 2nd lieutenant's leadership.  
  
Legolas owed Aragorn his life...and not just for his endorsement and friendship. No, the captain had risked his own life to save Legolas after a skirmish had left the lieutenant wounded in open ground. It was that wound that had sent him to this little holiday in the hospital. But now his wound had been tended to and he was anxious to return to the ranks, to his men, to his captain's side. He had a debt to repay after all.   
  
The doctors, however, had another opinion. Namely that he remain in the hospital for another three days. With sharp disregard for those opinions that ran contrary to his own, the lieutenant was packing his bag and rechecking his weapons in preparation to return to the fighting. He looked up as a new batch of wounded arrived, thinking that at least he could offer them his bed.  
  
He didn't recognize the company but that was nothing new. More and more troops flooded into the area each day. But the company's sergeant's words caught his attention as the officer informed a nurse, "There will be about twenty more wounded here in about an hour."  
  
The nurse frowned, "Twenty more? But we hardly have supplies to treat these new wounded. Maybe we could send them to another aid station?"  
  
"No ma'am, this is the closest station to Foy."  
  
The nurse nodded in agreement and walked to the nearest new patient.  
  
"Foy?" Legolas questioned the sergeant, his tone sharp with dread, as he approached, "These injured are from the assault on Foy?"  
  
The other man turned to look at the young lieutenant that questioned him, "Assault?!?" he retorted. "We can't even keep our line in the sand. Last night, we lost a whole company to shelling 'cause it ignited a forest fire. The two closest companies only survived at all because they retreated back two miles."  
  
Suddenly Legolas couldn't breath, couldn't think of anything but the other man's words 'lost a whole company'. Fellowship Company was holding the line on the advance to Foy...the front line. "What company?" he croaked.  
  
"What companies pulled back?" the other man questioned  
  
"No, the lost company, which company was it?" Legolas demanded, swallowing down his growing fear.  
  
"Fellowship Company," the sergeant informed him like he was giving baseball stats, never noticing that his companion had gone bone white with his words. "The company nearest them said the whole area went up like wildfire, sweeping across fox holes and jumping tree to tree and burning away the snow like vapor."  
  
Before the man could utter his full description, Legolas had pushed by him and ran for the outside doors. Stepping outside, he saw a jeep parked across the street. Immediately he ran over to it's driver. "I need to get to the front line on Foy," his desperation unmasked.  
  
The driver smiled, "Just your luck, I'm heading back to hell myself. Jump in."   
  
Without further prompting, Legolas got into the passenger seat an instant before the jeep jerked into motion. He said nothing to the driver as they tore down the bomb rutted road, his own thoughts screaming in his head. He had not been there when his men, his friends, his brothers had needed him. The rational part of him knew that he could not have swayed the fate that had befallen Fellowship Company but his heart wished he had at least shared in it.  
  
TBC   
  
Love to hear your thoughts. 


	2. Chapter 2

Band of Brothers: LOTR Style  
  
Cheryl W.  
  
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I don't own The Lord of the Rings or anything in conjunction with The Lord of the Rings. I also do not own Band of Brothers or anything in conjunction with Band of Brothers. Nor am I making a profit from this story. No copyright infringement is intended.   
  
Author's Notes: Sorry for any inconsistencies with my military facts. I always fall short on knowledge, no matter the research I put into something.   
  
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Chapter 2  
  
Smoke burned Legolas' eyes as they traveled through the forest miles outside the town of Foy. But the tears in his eyes could not be owed totally to the sting of the fire's cloud of smoke. Not four days ago he had walked through these woods, the crisp snow crunching under his boots as his men flanked him on both sides, scouring the forest for signs of opposition. And ahead, Legolas had watched Captain Thorongil lead the advance as was his wont, always putting himself at risk to lessen the danger for the men in his company.   
  
Everything had been beautiful and clean and for a small space of time, quiet. Aragorn had said "too quiet" as they stood sharing a cigarette as they watched their men dig fox holes.   
  
"They know we're here," Aragorn had said, quietly as his eyes met Legolas's. "And we know they are there in Foy. It's a chess game. I hate chess."  
  
Legolas had laughed at that. "I thought you enjoyed making strategies."  
  
"Not if you have to stand around waiting for your opponent to make one lousy move. Life's too short to do that kind of waiting...this kind of waiting," Aragorn had countered, taking a drag on the cigarette before handing it back to Legolas.  
  
"And what, you'd prefer us running hell for leather for Foy, bullets zinging by us..into us," Legolas challenged with a smirk, a friendly reprimand for his friend's reckless ways.  
  
This got a chuckle out of Aragorn, "Well my father always told me 'death comes for every man, try not to be around when he comes for you."  
  
Laughter erupted from Legolas and Aragorn's eyes twinkled with mirth.   
  
"Good advice. I'11 try and take it long as you do the same," Legolas had replied.  
  
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As the jeep came to a stop, those words spoken between himself and his friend seared into Legolas's soul. In a sick way, he had taken the advice. Death had come calling for Fellowship Company ...Legolas just wasn't around when it had.   
  
"Sir..sir," the driver called and shook the lieutenant 's shoulder, snapping Legolas out of his thoughts.   
  
Turning to the driver, Legolas nodded his gratitude for the ride and got out of the jeep. It was only then that he took notice of the camp where he now found himself. Everyone was busy digging fox holes, setting up sentries and calling in their coordinates. It was so reminiscent of Fellowship Company days ago that Legolas turned around, hung his head and closed his eyes, willing himself to get his emotions under control.  
  
"Lieutenant Mirkwood?" a voice said immediately behind him.   
  
Straightening up, Legolas turned around to find a private from Company G addressing him. "Private Reese, right?"  
  
The private nodded, "Yes, Sir. I just..." the man who was barely eighteen swallowed hard, "I'm sorry...'bout your company. They were all good men."  
  
At first Legolas could only nod but then he forced words from his constricted throat. "They were the best, Reese"  
  
"Yes sir. Well, my captain saw your arrival and he'd like a word with you."  
  
These words caught Legolas like a knife cut. He had come out here, ready to tackle the front line, to bring death to those who had so cruelly taken his brothers in arms from him. Yes, a part of him had recognized that he would be assigned to a new company, under a new commander but now that it was about to happen....the thought hurt worse than when the doctor had cut the bullet from his side.   
  
With shaking fingers, he withdrew a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up, letting the nicotine work some of the tension out of him. "Lead the way, Private," he said and followed Reese across the camp.  
  
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Legolas had met the captain of Company G before, in Aragorn's presence. Though the two captains had treated one another with respect, Legolas could see there was no love lost between them. To Legolas, that was a dark mark against the man for he believed everyone should like Aragorn as he did. And he knew his personal dark mark was not the only one bestowed on Company G's captain for Legolas had heard tales of the other officer's incompetence and his cruelty to his own troops.  
  
Now as he found himself standing toe to toe with Captain Denethor Gondor, Legolas found resentment building in him. Why had a man of character, of depth, of compassion such as Aragorn died while this worthless fellow before him still drew in breath?  
  
"I guess you've come to join my company," the captain began, not with welcome but disdain.   
  
Legolas could not force himself to agree. The sad fact was, he had let a small flicker of hope burn in him. Maybe the sergeant back at the aid station had been wrong, maybe it was another company or the story was exaggerated as it sometimes was even in these times when the facts were crucial. Truth was, he had not come out here to join another company...he had come out to rejoin his own company.   
  
"Have we retaken the front line?" he asked instead, hoping to hear of discovered survivors from Fellowship Company.  
  
But captain Gondor snorted, "Retaken the front line? That "line", hell, that part of the forest, no longer exists."  
  
"But there may be .."  
  
Denethor cut him off bitterly, "Nobody walked away from that Lieutenant Mirkwood...not even the infamous Captain Thorongil."  
  
Fury flashed through Legolas at Denethor's disrespect for Aragorn. It took all of Legolas's self control and consequently, all his attention, to convince himself to not strike the man before him, rank be damned. Unfortunately, it was during this time that the captain gave the 2nd lieutenant his orders...orders that fell on ears deafen by outrage. Unable to let the other man's comment stand, Legolas stepped closer to the captain, his dark eyes pitch black with anger, "Don't disrespect Captain Thorongil."  
  
Captain Gondor smirked back, "I always respect the dead, kid. Never know when I might be joining 'em. Now head to your post, lieutenant," he ordered before walking away.  
  
Legolas silently cursed Denethor as he watched the retreating man's back. Soon the white fog that permeated the forest swallowed up the officer and Legolas returned his focus to the job at hand. Trouble was, he hadn't heard what Denethor's orders for him were and he sure wasn't going to ask the captain to repeat himself.   
  
'Officer loses his concentration in battle, he'll lose his life,' that's what Legolas's training officer back in Kentucky had told him again and again. And now he had gone and lost his concentration..and not even under fire! What was worse, he had lost something more dear than his own life..the lives of the men in his company.   
  
Everyone had told him war is hell and it was ...but it had been a bearable hell among men he'd claimed as brothers. Family got you through most of life's pitfalls, more or less in one piece. And he still had family, back in South Carolina, namely his father, who had been his universe for so long. Losing his mother when he was seven had deeply scarred him and this was really the first time he had let others get behind his barriers. Now he wanted to chastise himself for getting soft, wanted to regret making friends with these men, with Aragorn, but in truth, he would not trade the time he had spent with them ...even in hell.  
  
TBC  
  
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Raiden: Thanks for reviewing my story and straightening me out about the units and ranks. Due to time, I'm just going to have to let my mistakes stand as they are. I hope you can overlook them. And I too don't feel like the people today understand and appreciate all the prior generations have gone through to ensure any small freedom we have. Love to hear what you think as the story continues.  
  
Sarah G: Thank you for your review! Glad you like the AU concept...I'm always really reluctant to post anything that way become some people only like things in their "original" concept. Hope to hear from you again.  
  
Elfmage: I'm flattered that I got a dance out of you! But I'm a little worried I will disappoint you. I've seen the mini series Band of Brothers but I've only begun reading the book so don't count on my story being accurate to true facts (or military procedures as you've already discovered). Thank you for not criticizing me for turning the fellowship all human. I just couldn't visualize the story with the characters maintaining their race from LOTR. And I'm truly touched that you've added this to your favorite list. Please let me know how I'm doing with each chapter!  
  
Thank you to everyone who read this chapter and special thanks to my reviewers.   
  
Next update will be here tomorrow.  
  
Cheryl W. 


	3. Chapter 3

Band of Brothers   
  
Cheryl W.  
  
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I don't own The Lord of the Rings or anything in conjunction with The Lord of the Rings. I also do not own Band of Brothers or anything in conjunction with Band of Brothers. Nor am I making a profit from this story. No copyright infringement is intended.   
  
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Chapter 3  
  
Pride and duty warred within Legolas. He did not want to endure the humiliating tongue lashing Denethor would unleash on him if he asked the captain to repeat his orders. But, on the other hand, he also wanted to perform his assigned duty. He owed that to these men that surrounded him now. Inhaling the crisp cool air of the forest, Legolas tried to come to a decision on what to do. Of its own accord, his mind thought of what he would do if he had this exact occurrence with Aragorn...if it were Aragorn's orders he had not heard. The answer was instantaneous and without doubt: He would request Aragorn to repeat the orders.  
  
Even with that clear indication of his correct path, Legolas remained immobile. 'Aragorn would not chew me out though,' he silently argued but then painfully realized he spoke of his friend as if he were still among the living. A sob began to climb up his throat. Never again would he share the exasperated 'can-you-believe-the-mess-we're-in' looks with Aragorn. Or hear the other man's steady voice amid the chaos of battle, quelling his men's fears and steering them unswervingly through danger. But worst of all, Legolas would never again be engulfed in the comfort of his friend's presence.  
  
Quickly, Legolas cut through the forest, past the men and the foxholes to a secluded area that still knew the quiet of winter. Bracing his hands on a tree, he bent his head until it rested on the tree trunk and he let the sobs escape his barriers. Yes, he had seen many die..some quick, some painstakingly slow and a small part of him mourned for all of them. But this loss...this was like a knife into his heart. Aragorn was the brother he had always dreamed of having ...and the rest of the company...they had come to mean more to him than he realized...until now. This pain could not be locked away...to try to do that would break him. More sobs tore from him as memories flashed through his mind. Surviving was turning out to be the worst fate he had ever envisioned.  
  
Drawing in a steadying breath moments later, Legolas pushed away from the tree and wiped at the tears that still tracked down his ice cold cheeks. He could not bring them back...nor could he change his own fate. There was only one thing he could do for his brothers....carry on...fight the good fight...and maintain the honor that was Fellowship Company.  
  
Determinedly he headed back to the fox holes, to Denethor. He would not let these men down, not for the sake of his pride. He would ask the captain to repeat his orders and he would take the abuse he knew he rightly deserved for his inattention. He did not have the luxury of letting his emotions reign, not here, not now.  
  
Reaching the nearest fox hole, Legolas bent down and questioned the two soldiers who were shivering in their hole. "Where's Captain Denethor?"  
  
The younger looking soldier pointed north, "He's checking out the front line, sir."  
  
"Thanks," Legolas said as he stood and began to walk through the snow enshrouded forest to the front line...the front line that was the last resting place of his company. At first his steps were strong, unwavering, the white world around him somehow comforting to his troubled soul but when he caught sight of the charred trees, the blackened ground his steps faltered and he couldn't draw in a breath. The fires had burned fiercely, without mercy, leaving only black ash in it's place...in their place. Swallowing hard, he tried to not be ill.  
  
He jumped when a hand came down heavily on his shoulder and he swung around to see Captain Gondor at his side, wearing an expression of displeasure. "What are you doing here, lieutenant?!"  
  
Off balance at the sight before him, Legolas's prepared words would not come.  
  
"I'm waiting for an explanation, Mirkwood."  
  
Meeting the captain's eyes head on, Legolas steadily asked, "What were my orders again, sir?"  
  
Frustration swept over Denethor's features and he let out a string of curses. "You're useless, Mirkwood. You know that, right?"  
  
Sensing the man wanted an answer, Legolas replied, "Yes, sir. I am useless."  
  
"I don't need any more useless "officers"," the captain sneered.  
  
"No sir, you don't. I will not disappoint you again," Legolas promised, his oath more to honor his fallen comrades than any respect he gave to the man before him.  
  
To this, Denethor snorted but his verbal response was cut off as a low whistle rent the air. Immediately Denethor unslung his rifle. With the white fog holding the forest in its grip, visibility was poor within a couple of yards from the captain's position. All he could do was sight his weapon in the direction he perceived the sound to have emanated. When the whistle came again, Denethor cocked his gun and waited for a target to come within his sights.  
  
Hearing the whistle the first time, Legolas had stiffen as if struck. It could not be...it was a trick of his mind...a wish of his heart. But when the short whistled tune came again out of the white world around him, he could not deny it's reality. Turning to Denethor, he was terrified to see the captain ready to release a round.   
  
"No!" Legolas yelled as he stepped in front of the other man and yanked the gun's muzzle upward. Before the captain could vent his anger, Legolas explained, "It's Fellwoship Company's code, sir."  
  
"Look around, Lieutenant!" Denathor hissed back, his eyes searing into Legolas's as he ripped his gun from the other man's hold. "No one survived this!"  
  
"Someone has!" Legolas countered, turning and letting his eyes scan the woods around him as he sent out his own whistle of reply. His heart thudded in his chest in anticipation and fear. He did not know who would walk from the woods...and he could not bear to hope falsely...he could not bear to feel the loss anew.   
  
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A moment later, Legolas could see movement in the north of their position. Slowly the white fog gave way to a number of figures trudging through the snow. Legolas and Denethor tensed, but for entirely different reasons. Denethor tightly gripped his gun, fearing an attack, while Legolas grasped onto the renewed hope for the return of those he believed lost to him.  
  
Finally the men began to emerge from the thickness of the fog. "Legolas, that you?" came echoing through the still forest.  
  
Joy and relief tore through Legolas. He knew that voice. "Merry!" Forgetting Denethor's presence, Legolas ran forward to greet the returning soldiers. As he came upon the group of men, he readily took in the presence of every man in the group of fourteen. His eyes swept over the twelve privates and two sergeants, quickly assessing them, finding them looking exhausted but uninjured. His focus returned to the two men he considered some of his closest friends. "Pippin! I shoulda known where there's one of you, the other is bound to be near by!" he called out before pulling the two sergeants into a fierce three way hug.  
  
"Report, soldiers!" Captain Gondor's demanding voice broke the men apart like scolded school boys. "Where have you been? Are there any other survivors?" his look swinging from Sergeant Brandybuck to Sergeant Took.  
  
Sergeant Brandybuck swiftly answered, "We've been holding on the outskirts of Foy."  
  
Before the sergeant could continue his narrative, Denethor cut in with sharp disapproval, "Outskirts of Foy?! No orders were given to advance that far."  
  
Impatience ate at Legolas, goading him to cut into the military squabble and demand that one of the sergeants answer Denethor's second question, the question he himself could not find the strength to utter. 'Are there any other survivors?' But his training kept him quiet. Always he had to be a soldier first.  
  
Offended at the captain's words, Sergeant Took firmly relayed the prior night's events. "When the shelling started last night, fire swept everywhere. We were cut off from retreating and to the east and west were enemy troops. So Captain Thorongil ordered us forward."  
  
Relief drenched Legolas at the mention of Aragorn and, abandoning the disciplines of his rank, he interrupted Captain Denethor's interrogation. "The captain...where is he?"  
  
Overriding the lieutenant's question, Denethor reacted to Pippin's report, "He didn't have the authority to make that order. Our orders are clear: to keep the front line here," and he pointed emphatically to the forest ground, "not to go traipsing over the countryside of Foy!"  
  
It was Merry who sharply retorted, "If the captain didn't make that decision, our whole company would be gone!" Seeing the anger flare in the officer's eyes, Merry compliantly added, "Sir."  
  
But Denethor's anger could not be soothed by a "sir". "He will answer to command for that decision," he darkly promised, eyeing all three soldiers before him. Then he settled his look upon Pippin, "And when can we expect Throngil to make an appearance?" his disdain tainting every word.  
  
A worried look passed over both sergeants' features and Legolas felt like he was again in the aid station...dreading the news from the front.   
  
"When we were advancing forward, Boromir's platoon, which was taking point, stumbled upon a large enemy contingent. Captain Throngil decided to use the platoon to draw the enemy away from the rest of the company." Here Pippin's eyes swung to Legolas and he quietly addressed his next words to the 2nd lieutenant. "The Captain led the platoon. We heard them engage the enemy for a long time as we made for Foy...and then everything got quiet."  
  
Stunned, Legolas could not move, could not draw in a breath. He knew what Pippin was telling him.. what he was not telling him. Chances were high that Captain Aragorn Thorongil had sacrificed his life in the defense of his men. For the first time, Legolas cursed honor and loyalty and even love. They all came at too high a price.  
  
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Over the next hours, more men from Fellowship Company straggled into camp, all cold, some wounded but amazingly alive. Denethor had put Legolas in charge of giving out orders to those returning survivors of his company, getting the wounded to the aid station and tallying the dead. It was both a joyous task and a heartbreaking one. For every friend who stepped from the fog, he found himself forced to tally another onto the death toll. So far he knew the shelling had killed 15 men from the company and wounded 11 and 3 more had been killed and 5 more wounded when they were discovered on the perimeter of Foy.  
  
Happiness and sorrow waged war within Legolas. Seeing Pippin and Merry, knowing that he was not the last of Fellowship Company, that had surely saved his very soul. But now, as he wrote down another name to the death toll, sorrow tried to reclaim him. The fallen had been good men, his friends, his brothers, no matter what ranks separated them.   
  
"Any word on Frodo?...Sam?" a voice said quietly behind Legolas, startling him. Turning around, he saw the anxious look on Pippin's face.  
  
"No..none. Do you know where they headed last night? East? West?" Legolas questioned, hoping to cover up his own worry for his friends.  
  
But Pippin shook his head, "Aragorn ordered us to scatter quickly and we all did that." The horrible memories of the attack darkened his eyes. "We were supposed to all rendezvous back here. He said we couldn't hope to take Foy on our own or even keep our positions a secret for long."  
  
"How are Foy's fortifications?" Legolas asked, studying the other officer closely.  
  
"Strong...too strong," the 2nd sergeant admitted bitterly.  
  
Legolas put a hand on Pippin's shoulder, "We'll get the job done, Pippin. We always do," but the confident tone was forced and the twinkle that was usually in Legolas's eyes was overshadowed by sorrow.  
  
Rallying marginally with the lieutenant's words, Pippin smiled back weakly, "You're right, Legolas. Let me know if you hear anything about...well about the other officers, alright?"  
  
"I will," Legolas agreed and watched as the other men walked back into the camp.  
  
Turning his focus again to the north, he waited to hear the whistled tune of his company, heralding more returning brothers. As night began to fall, he still waited on the edge of the forest, straining to hear above the night sounds a faint whistle that Aragorn had taught his men as a signal, a signal that had surely saved Pippin and Merry from being shot this afternoon.  
  
"You're still protecting your men, Aragorn," Legolas thought and a sad, proud smile pulled onto his face.  
  
He almost jumped when that very whistle came from the darkness. Whistling back he waited as the figures drew closer, all the while the two privates flanking Legolas sighted on the unrecognizable visitors. The two guards had been posted at the order of Denethor, who worried that the enemy would try to enter the camp just by mimicking the ridiculously childish code Aragorn had created for his company..   
  
When the moonlight allowed Legolas to see the approaching soldier's faces, he announced softly to the two guards, "Clear," and was relieved when they lowered their guns. The fear that some of the returning company would get shot by friendly fire was a constant in Legolas's mind. That was at least one of the reasons he stood on the border of the forest all day long...even after Denethor had tried to have someone replace him at the post.  
  
A smile lit up Legolas's face as a group of 20 men emerged from the darkness of the forest, two of which he knew better than he knew his friends back in the states. "You two are always bringing up the rear," he taunted but his smile belied his words.  
  
2nd sergeant Frodo Baggins laughed, "Better to be in the rear then point." And he engulfed Legolas in a hug as 2nd sergeant Sam Gamgee ordered the rest of the men with them to head into the camp.   
  
Then Sam came up to Legolas, and scolded with humor in his eyes, "You're AWOL from the aid station, aren't you? You just couldn't stand the fact that we might be off getting more medals while all you were going to get was a purple heart."  
  
True laughter broke from Legolas, "There's no fooling you, Sam," and he pulled the other men into a hug.  
  
When they broke apart, Legolas felt the weight of the two men's stare upon him. He knew the question they wanted to ask. "So far 18 dead and 16 wounded."  
  
"22 dead," Frodo corrected before clarifying the tally with names, "Philips, Marsh, Fulton and Harris."  
  
Legolas's jaw clenched as he tried to not recall the last time he had spent with Marsh. But it did no good. He vividly remembered his debate with the other man on which big band was the best. The other three men he had not known well but he had liked them all the same.  
  
"And from our group?" Sam quietly inquired. He did not need to say their names for Legolas knew to whom he referred. The officers of Fellowship Company had bonded together from the very start...it was their fate Sam needed to know.  
  
"Pippin and Merry were the first back here...Denethor almost shot them," he began with the easiest to tell, tacking on the humor.  
  
"Typical Denethor," Frodo chuckled, 'Shoot first and ask questions later."  
  
But Sam could see the sadness Legolas was trying hard to conceal. "Gimli? Boromir? " then he paused and forced out as if he didn't dare say the name, fearing that it represented some hope, "Aragorn?"  
  
Meeting his friend's eyes, Legolas shook his head, "I don't know. We still have twenty nine of the company unaccounted for ..." he let the sentence fall away unwilling to offer up hope when it seemed there was so little.  
  
Seeing how this news sat heavily upon the sergeants, Legolas again tried to lighten the mood, "You better head to camp. Word is Merry's going to do some impressions of Denethor after chow," and he nodded toward the camp.  
  
"If he gets caught at it..." Sam began as he led the way to the camp.  
  
But Frodo interrupted, as he trailed his friend. "Now that would be entertaining!"  
  
Legolas again turned to the dark forest around him, wishing to hear again the crunch of footsteps upon the snow or the faint whistle he had come to dearly love. But the night had fallen silent and the darkness hid the purity that the white snow had offered him in the daylight. Taking up his vigil again, he knew deep down that he was waiting for the one person odds said was never going to appear. But hope was a hard thing to abandon.  
  
TBC  
  
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Thank you my reviewers and everyone who took a moment to read this fic.  
  
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Leap: Thanks for the review!!! I'm glad you "love" it!!! Everyone else seems a little leery of the AU idea so I REALLY appreciate your positive response to it. Hope to hear from you again!  
  
Frodo16424: Thanks for the review and not hating me for making everyone human!! Looking forward to your next review.  
  
Elfmage: Hey, you're still reading!! Great! I'm glad you haven't been disappointed yet and are understanding about my mistakes. Yes Denethor is evil and see, the whole company is not lost. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter  
  
Rabbit of Iron: I guess I'm glad I'm got an original idea with this plot but it seems a little lonely out here on point. I feel like I'm setting myself up for the slaughter but I just couldn't not write and post this story. As for the title, as you can see I took your advice. I truly stink at titles and descriptions so any help is always appreciated.  
  
Raiden: If you're still reading...a big thank you for the military info you supplied. It's really helping with the writing of this story.  
  
Till tomorrow...  
  
Cheryl W. 


	4. Chapter 4

Band of Brothers   
  
Cheryl W.  
  
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I don't own The Lord of the Rings or anything in conjunction with The Lord of the Rings. I also do not own Band of Brothers or anything in conjunction with Band of Brothers. Nor am I making a profit from this story. No copyright infringement is intended.   
  
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Chapter 4  
  
Finally exhaustion and the lingering pain of his wound won out and Legolas admitted to himself that he could not longer stand watch. Feeling as if a part of him lay somewhere out in the dark forest before him, Legolas swallowed hard before turning back to camp, almost stumbling with the effort of walking. Ten more men from Company Fellowship had found their way back to the camp throughout the hours of Legolas's night time vigil, taking the number of missing down to twenty nine. But among those missing were three men Legolas valued the most: Aragorn, Boromir and Gimli.   
  
Pushing aside the sorrow that weighed on him, Legolas entered the camp and headed to Denethor's fox hole with the report. He dreaded the encounter but duty would not be pushed aside for personal feelings: not again. To his surprise, Denethor was awake, sitting on the edge of his hole, his gaze fixed on the north where Foy was positioned. He looked up as the lieutenant approached.  
  
"Report, Mirkwood," he grimly demanded.  
  
Steadily Legolas supplied the numbers as if they had no personal correlation to him. "22 dead, 16 wounded and 107 are ready for duty, sir."  
  
Denethor's eyes blazed into Legolas's. "How many unaccounted for?"  
  
It was this number that was the hardest for Legolas to utter. "29."  
  
"Captain Thorongil?"  
  
Legolas swallowed down his emotions and wondered if Denethor was getting sick satisfaction at hearing Aragorn's fate...of making Legolas speak aloud the fate of his best friend. "Among the missing," his voice rough but even.  
  
For a moment, Denethor said nothing then he simply nodded his head and crawled into his fox hole.   
  
It took Legolas a moment to realize he had been rudely dismissed. Turning on his heel, he cut through the forest hoping to find a fox hole he could occupy for the small hours that remained in the night. He jumped as someone to his near left called out his name softly.  
  
Suddenly he found Merry at his side. "Our hole's over here," Merry said, pointing to the east before the two men began to walk in that direction. They did not speak as their boots crunched under the snow covered forest floor and when Legolas saw Pippin smiling up at him from the "safety" of the fox hole, some of his tension drained away.  
  
Jumping into the hole, Legolas sat on the ground beside Pippin and leaned heavily against the dirt hewed wall. Merry claimed a spot to his left and promptly offered him some of their food rations. But Legolas shook his head. Hunger had not plagued him at all this day.  
  
"Eat," Merry ordered and he dropped the ration in Legolas's lap. "I'm not going to carry you when we make the assault on Foy," he taunted lightly.  
  
A small smile sprang on Legolas' lips. Picking up the food, he did as he was ordered. Silence reigned among the three men and that in itself was unnatural. Usually they would ramble unceasingly about bands, girls and how many medals they had and hoped to have by the war's end. But not this night. No words could undo the events of the past two days or soften the sorrow each felt at the loss of some of their brothers in arms.  
  
A gruff voice behind them brought them all to their feet, "I shouldn't be surprised to find you all eating while I've been out taking care of business."  
  
"Gimli!" Pippin called out in joy, leaping from the hole and crushing the older man in his embrace. "We thought you were dead!"  
  
The 1st Sergeant lightly pounded the other man on the back before pulling back. Snorting he retorted, "I knew someone had to stick around and keep you pups alive," and his eyes swept over the three officers, making sure that no serious harm had befallen them.  
  
"I didn't expect to see you here, Legolas," he said, a reprimand hiding in his words.  
  
A blush almost crept onto the young lieutenant's face but he firmly answered, "I was bailing out of the aid station when I heard about the attack last night." The memory of his grief at the news that his company was lost washed over him, darkening his features.  
  
"I bet our odds were pretty grim," Gimli gently offered, sensing the young man's pain.   
  
"You didn't have odds, Gimli," Legolas informed lowly, "The whole company was thought lost."  
  
For the first time Merry and Pippin understood the haunted look that their lieutenant had worn when they stepped out of the fog this afternoon. A look that had faded but not disappeared as the day progressed  
  
"Lost?!" Pippin repeated, "You thought...they thought..."  
  
To this Legolas simply nodded.  
  
Merry put a reassuring hand on Legolas' shoulder and Gimli bent down to meet Legolas' eyes. "You're not alone anymore Legolas," he reassured and then smiled, "You're back to taking orders from me."  
  
Legolas smartly saluted, "Yes sir!" humor and happiness starting to lighten his eyes.  
  
But then it was Gimli's features that transformed into a grim mask, "Boromir's platoon? Aragorn? Any word of them?"  
  
All eyes fixed on Legolas and he croaked out, "Nothing."  
  
Gimli cursed and hung his head, feeling the loss of his two comrades and the men of the platoon deeply. Before he could raise his head, a private had come up behind him and quietly informed him, "Sergeant Durin, Captain Denethor wants your report...now."  
  
After taking a deep steadying breath, the sergeant drew himself to his feet, offered a "Later gentlemen" to the three soldiers of his company and headed across the camp to meet with Denethor.  
  
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Sleep would not come to Legolas as he huddled in the foxhole. The night was quiet...too quiet. Back home he had loved to sleep out under the stars and soak up nature's offerings. But here, it was not nature he had been trained to hear amid the night hours. Here he listened for the smallest of sounds that could herald danger and to the sounds of the men in his company, insuring himself that they were all well.  
  
No matter how hard he tried, this night he could not hone his instincts into their trained spectrum. He had been given a profound gift today, the gift of the safe return of most of the men in his company. He knew his heart should have been full of gratitude and happiness...but it was not. Instead he could not beat down the sorrow that ate at him. Over one hundred men had walked out of the white fog today, escaping the fate that had tried to claim their lives. But no matter the happiness he had felt at each solder's appearance, at each friend that had been restored to him, he could not quell the part of him that clung to the sorrow of the lives lost.   
  
He had lived with these men among the terror and horror of war. Together they had both laughed and cried. They had become a part of him, a part he could not replace or forget. And the loss of Aragorn he felt most acutely, the pain steeling away his breath and making sleep impossible.  
  
Pulling the blanket off that he had cocooned around himself, Legolas climbed from the foxhole, making sure that he did not wake Pippin and Merry in the process. Little stirred in the area as he made his way to the front lines, his footsteps loud in the quiet of the early dawn. Nearing the guards, he whispered in greeting, "Lieutenant Mirkwood approaching," to which "approach" was answered back.  
  
Assured now that he would not startle the young guards into a false action, the lieutenant walked past the guards, gave them a nod of greeting and stopped a few yards ahead of them. He squinted into the forest as sunlight began to filter through the white world of the forest.   
  
"Any more survivors come in after sergeant Dorin and the seven men with him?" he questioned quietly.  
  
"Five came in, sir," was the reply.  
  
Legolas spun around to face the guard who had answered him, a question in his expression. But before he could find the will to ask it the guard shook his head.  
  
"Wasn't Captain Thorongil or Lieutenant Boromir or anyone from that platoon," the guard gently supplied.  
  
The news was not unexpected but it still struck Legolas hard. He turned again to look out upon the forest and squinted harder as more sunlight glinted off the snow. Any other time sunlight would have uplifted his spirits. But today, with the touch of the sun's rays upon the world around him, Legolas felt all hope die within him. Under the cover of the fog yesterday and the darkness last night, there had been hope that the missing men could make their way back into camp without attracting the enemy's attention. The clear, sunny day that was breaking over this part of Belgium offered no cover for the wayward. Even if the sixteen missing men were alive, and not captives, they could not make the journey safely across the field that separated the town of Foy from the forest. Sunlight now signaled the doom of Legolas's vain hope. Hanging his head, he tightly clenched his eyes shut as the realization ripped his heart out. The wait was over.  
  
"Sir," a hesitant voice spoke softly to him.   
  
He looked up into the face of the young private who had been standing guard.   
  
The private looked uncomfortable but duty bound to speak his next words. "Captain Denethor told us that once the sun came up, we should treat any who approach our position from the north as enemies...no matter what."  
  
Expecting an argument from the lieutenant, he was shocked when the other man simply nodded his head and walked by him toward camp.   
  
Faced with the harsh truth that Aragorn was not coming back, Legolas felt grief claim him again...even stronger than it had when he thought the whole company was gone. Hope, if it was false, seemed to him the cruelest of all emotions. How could he tell the others that Aragorn was dead? That Boromir would not be returning either? How could he meet the eyes of the men of Fellowship Company and offer them hope when he had none himself. Not now...maybe not ever again.  
  
He jerked to a halt as a whistle echoed in the forest. Urgently he ran back toward the front line, toward the guards whose orders were to shoot any who approached their camp. No exceptions. "No!" he shouted, breaking the silence that had been maintained in the camp since the shelling two nights ago. When he came upon the guards, they had their weapons raised. With dread, Legolas knew the soldiers were too well trained to disobey Denethor's orders. In horror, he realized he would not make it to guards in time to physically stop them from firing.   
  
In desperation, Legolas loudly yelled the one thing he knew could save the lives of the men approaching from the forest, "Air Raid!" And he sent up a prayer that the men in the forest had dropped to the ground with his warning. Mere seconds later, the guards opened fire into the forest where they had seen movement. Reaching the guards, Legolas tackled them, sending all three of them crashing to the ground.   
  
The one guard cursed him while the other tried to climb to his feet and again send shots into the forest. "No! It's our men out there!" Legolas yelled to the man, gripping his arm and yanking him back to the ground.  
  
A voice yelled from the forest, "Legolas, it's Boromir! Stop shooting at us!"  
  
Legolas was overwhelmed with relief and joy. Another brother was being returned to him. Coming to his feet, he called back, "Just stay where you are, we'll come to you!"  
  
"Don't dilly dally. We got enemy troops coming up behind us!" Boromir called back.  
  
Legolas turned to the two privates who had gained their feet. "Follow me and do not shoot! Is that understood! I know the man in the forest!"  
  
"Our orders.." the guard began in protest.  
  
Sensing that the men would not obey any counter orders he might give, he cut in, "Fine. I'll go alone and call out the code word "Glen Miller" when I come back. Don't shoot me!"  
  
Before either guard gave reassurances that they understood the code and would not fire upon him, Legolas ran into the forest, his heart pounding in his chest. Boromir had said "we" and "us". He was not alone. Legolas did not allow himself to dwell on Boromir's companion.  
  
Finally Legolas saw the outline of a man upon the forest floor. That instant Boromir raised his head and the two lieutenants' eyes met. A smile curled up Legolas' s lips and he ran to the man's side but as he approached he could only see Boromir. Legolas felt disappointment. Boromir was alone.   
  
Reaching the man's side he dropped down to his knees and was about to speak when Boromir sat up on his hunches and looked toward the forest floor. Legolas followed the other man's gaze and drew in a sharp breath. Captain Aragorn Thorongil lay motionless on the ground, blood covering the left side of his face and more blood staining his shirt darkly. Legolas suddenly realized that he had not seen Aragorn before because Boromir had been covering the other man protectively with his own body.   
  
Legolas's worried eyes met Boromir's. Grimly the older lieutenant said, "Let's get him to camp," and he reached down to pull his captain onto his shoulders but Legolas gripped his wrist.  
  
"I'll carry him," and at Boromir's look of protest, Legolas added, "I'm fresh..you're not." With that logic, Boromir nodded his acceptance and helped Legolas gently pull Aragorn over his shoulders.  
  
"Let's go," Legolas bade as he stood and readjusted Aragorn's weight before walking back toward camp, Boromir at his side, his rifle at the ready.  
  
Legolas acutely felt every breath Aragorn took, for each breath from his friend prompted his own breath to resume. He could feel warm blood seep from Aragorn onto his shoulder and he tightened his grip on his captain. He would not lose Aragorn now, not when he had made it this far. It felt like forever before Legolas reached the outskirts of the camp and he called out "Glen Miller."  
  
"Approach, lieutenant," came the reply and Legolas felt some tension leave him. The privates were not so brainwashed by Denethor after all.  
  
Then he could see the guards and moments later he and Boromir walked past them. Legolas gave them a passing look and solemnly offered, "Thank you," as he headed for the camp.  
  
Between Legolas's "air raid" warning and the guards' rifle fire, the camp had come alive with action. Denethor suddenly was in Legolas' path. "What the hell's going on! Why were shots fired!"  
  
"That was your orders in action, sir," Legolas bit out as he determinedly side stepped the captain and made for the temporary aid station they had developed in the camp. Boromir flanked Legolas without offering a word of explanation to the captain and was surprised when the other captain did not take up pursuit but instead stalked to the front line.  
  
"He gave the order for the guards to shoot at us," Boromir surmised bitterly.  
  
"Once the sun came up they were to shoot anyone who approached from the north. No exceptions," Legolas informed the lieutenant. Looking to Boromir, he knew that he wore the same enraged look that marred the other man's features.   
  
They exchanged no further words as Legolas came upon the aid station that was simply a clearing in the very back of the camp where some blankets were spread out to accommodate any of the wounded. Legolas knelt down and, with Boromir's aid, gently laid Aragorn onto a blanket.   
  
"Medic!" Boromir called when he saw no medic in the vicinity.   
  
Legolas tore open Aragorn's shirt to inspect the wound that seeped blood onto the captain's shirt. Bandages from someone's first aid kit were wrapped around Aragorn's waist but they were drenched in blood. Fear gripped Legolas and he looked to Aragorn's pale bloodied face. Tenderly he took the older man's face into his hands. "Aragorn, can you hear me? You're back in camp. You're safe." This garnered no response from Aragorn.  
  
A medic dropped to his knees beside Aragorn and Legolas pulled back allowing the man to tend to his friend. He and Boromir watched intently as the medic inspected their captain's wounds.  
  
"He's going to be fine, right?" Legolas asked breathlessly his look swinging from Aragorn's face to the medic's.   
  
"We need to get him to an aid station...a real one," was the medic's reply, his hands busy cleaning the bullet wound in Aragorn's side.  
  
Legolas's eyes met Boromir's and they both knew what they needed to do. "I'll track down a jeep," Boromir said as he climbed to his feet and disappeared amid the movements of the camp.  
  
"Lift him up," the medic ordered, breaking Legolas from his fixation on his friend's motionless body. Legolas' glazed eyes met the medics in confusion. "Lift him up so I can bandage his waist."  
  
As the request sunk in, Legolas gently slid his hands under Aragorn's back and slowly pulled the man upright to lean against his chest. A moan of pain erupted from Aragorn and Legolas beckoned, "Aragorn?" turning his head to look at his friend's face that rested on his shoulder. A flinch of pain flickered over Aragorn's features as the medic wrapped the bandage around his waist.  
  
Seeing that Aragorn was almost conscious, Legolas called softly again, "Aragorn? Can you hear me? It's Legolas."  
  
With effort, Aragorn's eyes fluttered open and his first clear sight was of a widely smiling Legolas, "Legolas?" he questioned, his voice weak and rough.  
  
Unhindered joy at last had free reign on Legolas. Aragorn was going to be fine for he could see the strength burning, albeit lowly, in his friend's eyes. Aragorn was a survivor of the first order. "Yes, it's Legolas," he answered with humor glinting in his eyes, "You didn't think you'd get rid of me with one little bullet, did you?"  
  
An exhausted but truthful smile turned up Aragorn's lips. "No, you're too stubborn."  
  
"Takes a stubborn fool to know a stubborn fool," Legolas taunted with their usual come back to one another.  
  
Aragorn's smile brightened before he groaned in pain as the medic tied off the bandage. Legolas shot the medic an angry look but it was wasted on the man who was busy rummaging through his medic pack and said without looking up, "You can lay him back down now."  
  
Legolas turned his look again to Aragorn's pained features. "I'm going to ease you back to the ground, Aragorn."  
  
"Alright," Aragorn agreed quietly, already steeling himself for the agony he knew any motion would cause him. And when Legolas, with as much care as anyone could, again settled him onto the ground, he knew his prediction had not been wrong. The agony almost sent him tumbling back into the void of unconsciousness.  
  
Sliding his hands from under Aragorn's back as he rested the man again on the ground, Legolas watched as Aragorn clamped his eyes tightly shut and drew in a sharp breath. Legolas cursed himself for bringing more pain to his friend. The medic reached out to clean the wound on Aragorn's forehead but Legolas snagged onto the man's wrist. "Wait a little while," he ordered. The medic nodded his head in agreement, pulled his released hand back to his side and walked away to give the officers some privacy.  
  
After a few moments, when he had pushed the level of agony down a notch or two, Aragorn forced his eyes open again and blinked them into focus. Looking to Legolas, he asked desperately, both hope and despair in the words, "The company...they make it back?" the intensity of his gaze giving off the strength that his weak words did not.  
  
Legolas smiled, "You saved them, Aragorn."  
  
Dissatisfied with that vague reply, Aragorn, with a tremendous effort, reached up and gripped Legolas's forearm, "How many ..came back?"  
  
"122 returned without a scratch on them," Legolas supplied smiling, hoping to delay the telling of the bad news.  
  
Aragorn was not placated with half the truth, he tightened his grip on his friend's arm, "Wounded?" and he swallowed hard before he chocked out, "Dead?"  
  
Knowing that Aragorn would not be waylaid, Legolas gave the man the truth. "16 wounded. 22 dead."  
  
Grief swam in Aragorn's eyes and he dropped his grip on Legolas' arm as his eyes slid closed in another type of pain. Gruffly he asked, "Who...who's dead?" and he reopened his eyes and looked to his junior officer.  
  
Legolas was unprepared for the question. Denethor had been more than satisfied with statistics but Aragorn, he never treated anything in this war impersonally, especially his men. Drawing in a steadying breath, Legolas told his captain the name of every lost man. With each name, Legolas watched the sorrow in Aragorn's blue eyes deepen. It seemed impossible but Legolas knew Aragorn could picture the face of each fallen soldier, could tell you something personal about every one of them. They had never been numbers to him...just as they were not numbers to him now. No they had been Aragorn's comrades, his friends, his brothers.  
  
When the list was done, Legolas watched Aragorn struggle to keep his emotions bottled up inside, only the hard swallow and the dimness of his eyes betraying how close he was to losing that battle. Legolas put his hand on Aragorn's chest to offer the man some comfort. "I know you feel the loss of every one of your men but you must also know that you saved 122 lives with your orders."  
  
"34 Dead," Aragorn said, his voice thick with his emotions as he watched Legolas take in this news. "I lost the men in Boromir's platoon also."  
  
"You did not lose them, Aragorn. This war did."  
  
Aragorn shook his head marginally in denial, "My orders..."  
  
But Legolas gently cut in, "The men in the platoon, they willingly risked their lives to save the lives of their brothers in the company. They did not need an order from you to make that sacrifice. You know that. "  
  
Aragorn seemed soothed by Legolas's words and he closed his eyes. "I will never forget them...any of them. No one should ever forget them." Tears silently escaped from Aragorn's closed eyes a moment before his eyes focused on his friend again. "We may wear the medals but they, they gave us the will, the strength to earn them. They saved us all and asked nothing in return. They are the heroes...and their sacrifice will not become tarnished. Ever."  
  
Legolas found tears tracking down his own face and he could only nod silently in agreement to his friend's words. His head snapped up as Boromir came to stand at his side.   
  
"I got a jeep," he announced as he put a stretcher down beside Aragorn but then he saw the despair in Legolas and Aragorn's faces and fell silent.  
  
Legolas nodded then looked to Aragorn. "Looks like it's your turn to visit the aid station, captain," humor causing the sorrow in his eyes to begin to fade.  
  
Aragorn allowed Legolas attempt at humor to ease his grip on his grief and guilt. He let a smile emerge on his face, "Yeah but I won't treat it like a month long pass ...like you did," he taunted his best friend, his words weak but filled with humor.  
  
Legolas rose to the baiting, "A month?! I was there two days...not even 24 hours! And I went AWOL to get back here! The doctor wanted me to stay there another three days!" His heart lifting as he fell into the old routine between he and his friend. Nodding to Boromir to take a position at Aragorn's head, Legolas stood up and moved to Aragorn's feet. Boromir gripped the blanket edges above Aragorn's head while Legolas took hold of the fabric at Aragorn's feet. Without warning the two lieutenants picked up Aragorn's blanket and moved the man onto the stretcher as gently as they could.  
  
Still a small cry of pain came from Aragorn, "Easy," he hissed around the pain but there was no true reprimand in his voice.   
  
"That was our easy," Boromir replied as he looked down at Aragorn and winked to Legolas. Then he and Legolas picked up the stretcher and headed for the jeep that was pulling into the camp.  
  
"I don't want to have to be in bed as long as Legolas ...just because you guys dropped me," Aragorn griped breathlessly to his two friends.  
  
"I wasn't in bed long at all!" Legolas argued with fake anger as they gently secured the stretcher onto the jeep.   
  
Once he was certain the stretcher was firmly in place, Borimir looked down into his captain's eyes. "Heal up and get back here fast or Denethor will be joining you at the aid station.  
  
"Promise me you won't hit him again," Aragorn prodded.  
  
"I'm not promising a thing," Boromir smirked, ruffled Aragorn's hair and walked away.  
  
Legolas took Boromir's place at Aragorn's side. He smiled down at his best friend, "I can't control him...you know that."  
  
"How would you know...you always encourage him," Aragorn accused.  
  
Legolas laughed and did not offer up a denial. "It's more fun that way." Then he sobered up, "Follow the doctor's orders, Aragorn. Don't come back here half healed."  
  
"This coming from the guy who's... AWOL from the hospital this very instant."  
  
But anguish hued Legolas's next words as his look seared into his best friend, "I thought you were dead....I can't bear to go through that again. Especially not for real. So take care of yourself you stubborn fool! And like my father always tells me, "reserve some of your nine lives for your retirement years."  
  
Aragorn smiled and raised his hand. Immediately Legolas tightly grasped Aragorn's hand in his own. "Your father sounds like a smart man."  
  
"Yeah, he's almost as smart as me," Legolas joked back to which Aragorn snorted weakly. Laying Aragorn's hand down again to his chest, Legolas released his grip and nodded to the jeep's driver. The jeep engine flared to life and Legolas stepped back as the jeep began to pull out.  
  
"Be seeing you soon," Aragorn said in parting with a cocky smile on his face, causing Legolas to give up a silent curse.   
  
He watched as the jeep disappeared into the woods. Yes, Aragorn would be back here before long, Legolas would bet on it. Turning around, Legolas watched the camp activity. All the men that had lost their lives were still here, living in the memory of the company, still bravely fighting the good fight. Aragorn was right, the lost would not be forgotten or nor would their sacrifices tarnish with time. They were heroes to them all..forever.  
  
The end.  
  
Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this story and special thanks to those who reviewed!  
  
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Frodo16424: Glad you liked my line about hope and the whistle code! Thanks for reading and reviewing this story. I REALLY appreciated it.   
  
Luinthien: I almost wrote this fic under an alias because it's such a risky venture. I'm touched that you like this story and are not disappointed that it's not like my other tales. You're the best!!  
  
Sielge: Thanks for the review. Hope you like the ending.  
  
Mrs. Greenleaf: I'm touched that I brought tears to your eyes. But of course I take it by your name you have a special attachment to Legolas and would suffer when he suffers. Thanks for your review!  
  
Pippin-Kun: Thanks for your compliments! And no, I'm not trying to make any comparisons between WW2 and LOTR. I just liked band of brothers and wanted to do a story and since I was obsessed with LOTR...this concept was born. As for Aragorn's last name, I chose Thorongil because that was the name he used when he was soldiering for Gondor and Rohan. Love to hear what you think of this ending.  
  
Neige: Thanks for approving of this AU! I feel like I'm out on a real limb writing this but I too love history, even though I stink at remembering the details. As for the title, I know, I readily admit that titles are NOT my thing. Thanks so much for your review.  
  
Kingmaker: Thanks so much for your wonderful review! I have to say I've had a great time writing the fic...envisioning the LOTR characters in WW2. It's great that you appreciate my efforts!  
  
Leap: At first, I thought AU stories were sacrilegious...but as you can see I've gotten over that. I started to realize these characters were too cool to confine into one setting! Hope to hear your thoughts on the ending.  
  
ZiZi the Zephyr: Glad you like this story! And my grandfather is also a WW11 vet...but he doesn't talk about it much but he knows I'm proud of him and his service. We are truly related to heroes! Have a great memorial day!  
  
Elfmage: I'm very happy to be suck with you! I'm secretly pleased that my story came to your mind at school...that's a real compliment! And yes, I think there are some similar traits between Dick Winters and Aragorn. Both are men able to lead but never willing to sacrifice the lives of their men. Both humble yet strong. I truly look forward to your final review!  
  
Thanks again to everyone! And never forget the heroes that died to secure our freedoms.  
  
Cheryl W. 


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